All eyes are on shops as they reopen, according to a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for March 2021 has been published and the key points are: 

  • In March, UK retail sales increased 8.4% on a Like-for-like basis from March 2019, when they had decreased 1.1% from the preceding year. In March, Like-for-like has been measured excluding temporarily closed stores but including Online sales.
  • On a Total basis, sales increased by 8.3% in March, against a decline of 0.5% in March 2019. This is above the 3-month average growth of 2.7%.
  • Over the three months to March, In-Store sales of Non-Food items declined 44.4% on a Total and 44.0% on a Like-for-like basis. This is worse than the 2019 Total average decline of 3.1%. For March, the like-for-like excluding temporarily closed stores remained in decline.
  • Over the three months to March, Food sales increased 14.7% on a Like-for-like basis and 11.6% on a Total basis. This is higher than the 2019 Total average growth of 1.4%. For the month of March, Food was in growth year-on-year.
  • Over the three-months to March, Non-Food retail sales decreased by 4.5% on a like-for-like basis and 4.7% on a Total basis. This is below the 2019 Total average decline of 1.3%. For the month of March, Non-Food was in growth year-on-year.
  • Online Non-Food sales increased by 94.0% in March, against a growth of 3.0% in March 2019. This is above the 3-mth average of 90.8%. Non-Food Online penetration rate increased from 43.3% in March 2020 to 58.0% this March.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium, said: “As we pass the one-year anniversary of the first lockdown, the retail industry has generally remained strong, despite numerous challenges. 2020 was a year like no other, with panic buying followed by a sharp decline in consumer spend, and then the first national lockdown which resulted in erratic retail sales. This makes a direct comparison challenging, so for a truer indication of where the industry stands, we have changed our year-on-year comparisons for a two-year, pre-pandemic comparison period. March 2021 saw an 8.3% increase in spending compared to March 2019. This was largely driven by grocery spending however the majority of categories remain in decline, and fashion and footwear remain the hardest hit. With many stores still closed, online purchases reached the highest on record, particularly for TVs, gaming consoles and laptops.”

“Despite some product ranges trading well, the next six months will be make or break for many retailers. Over the past three lockdowns, non-food retail stores have lost £30 billion, so many retailers will be relying on growing consumer confidence, and a return to town and city centres to fuel their recovery. Retail businesses have spent hundreds of millions making their stores Covid-secure, so customers can feel safe and confident whilst shopping. We remind people to be considerate and respectful of other shoppers and hard-working retail staff so we can all safely enjoy our nation’s return to its stores.”

Download the report here

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